Chapter 12: Morning
No matter how tired she was the night before, Evelia always woke up on time to greet the sun before it fully rose.
She skillfully put on her black-and-white maid outfit and tied the bow at her chest in front of the full-length mirror.
To her, anything unfamiliar had to become second nature within two days, even if it meant adjusting to a completely new body. This also included breaking habits she had kept for nearly 20 years.
But for her, it wasn’t a big deal. After all, as an assassin, changing identities and starting over was nothing new.
Evelia opened her door and walked down the quiet hallway, imitating the graceful posture of a noble lady. Using the soft light of dawn, she observed every corner of the hallway. Out of habit from her past profession, her flat shoes made almost no sound as she walked.
Most of the other maids were still asleep, having stayed up late enjoying the bonfire party. They were waiting until the last possible moment to get up, fix their makeup, and deal with the headaches from drinking too much.
The cooks had to prepare a lot of food for breakfast, so they were up early and working fast. When Evelia arrived in the kitchen, the breakfast prepared for Armand was already neatly placed on a silver food cart.
According to the note beside it, his breakfast was simple. Just bread, a fried egg, milk, and a piece of chicken. It seemed to be made light on purpose, likely to suit his sensitive stomach.
Pushing the food cart down the quiet hallway again, Evelia listened to the soft rattling of the wheels. She also began to hear the footsteps of some maids who were already up. The hallway, which had felt a little scary in its silence just moments ago, was suddenly filled with light, cheerful sounds.
Knock knock knock.
Evelia gently knocked on Armand's door and respectfully called out his name from outside.
“Mr. Armand, your breakfast is ready.”
“Mhm, come in.”
“Yes, sir.”
At his reply, Evelia opened the door and walked into Armand's bedroom with the tray of food. Normally, the master of a manor would eat in the dining room, but that was mostly when eating with family. Armand, being alone, had no reason to do that. So he simply ate all his meals in his room, easier and less formal.
Armand seemed to have been awake for a while. The sunlight was slowly filling the room. His bedding was neatly folded, and his bangs were still damp from washing up. He was dressed in a full knight’s uniform, looking very much like a serious and reliable knight.
“Did you sleep well last night?” Armand asked while tightening his tie and sitting down at the small table. “My group of knights barely managed to drag themselves out of bed this morning.”
Monday mornings were known to be the hardest for the knights. Even though they normally had rotating rest days, Monday was different. No matter if you were off the day before or where your squad was, you had to get up before 4 a.m. for drills, on an empty stomach. Training lasted until 6 a.m., then they got one hour to rest before meeting again at 7 a.m. to start the day’s duties.
Normally, Armand would be training with the knights too, but today the Crown Prince had called him to the palace, so he got a rare chance to skip it and come back early.
“I didn’t do much yesterday, so I’m not really tired,” Evelia replied, calmly and properly. “I’ll clean your cloak later and return it to your room.”
As she spoke, she carefully cut up the small piece of meat on his plate.
This looks exactly like a "healthy meal."
Except for that dry piece of chicken, there was barely any oil or flavor. Evelia had heard from others that Armand had stomach problems, but she didn’t expect it to be this serious. It felt like he was just taking in the daily nutrients he needed, not actually enjoying his food.
“Things like that don’t matter, many knights like to go hunting in their free time. We have more than enough animal furs.”
“I’ll return your cloak as soon as I finish cleaning it.”
“You're so stubborn.”
Armand ate slowly, but it didn’t take him long to finish his breakfast. After wiping his mouth and standing up, the old butler, who had been waiting outside, walked in holding Armand's formal royal-knight coat.
“Mr. Armand, is there anything you need me to do next?”
She knew that Armand was going to meet the Crown Prince today. Honestly, she wanted to sneak a magical listening stone onto him, but such a clumsy trick would never go unnoticed by the royal family. All she could do was wait patiently and hope Armand would accidentally reveal something during casual talk.
“Just do your usual work, Eve. I’m only reporting in to the Crown Prince, not leaving for the whole day. I should be back by lunchtime, so just have lunch ready for me.”
“Understood.”
Since he’d made himself clear, Evelia didn’t push further. She quietly cleaned up the dishes and stepped aside, watching the butler help Armand straighten his uniform. Then she left the room silently, pushing the silver cart away.
Once she was gone, Armand stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the annoying but necessary cape that bore the emblem of the Royal Knights.
“That girl walks without making a sound. You’d better keep an eye on her.”
While pinning medals onto his chest, Armand looked at the old butler’s reflection in the mirror.
“Understood. Do you need extra guards to go with you to the palace?”
“No need. No one’s dumb enough to attack me here in the capital anyway. But while I’m gone, make sure everything’s in order at home. As for Evelia…”
Armand paused. His mind ran through several ways he could “deal with” Evelia. But each came with risks. After all, she was one of the Second Prince’s people.
The Second Prince had many agents working loosely under him, but Evelia, from the looks of it, was likely from the “House of Nightingales”. An elite group known for their brutal training. Forcing someone like her into a corner would only lead to trouble.
Armand knew that one day, he might very well lose his life to someone’s scheme. Still, in the back of his mind, he wished he could one day fake an illness and retire peacefully. If it weren’t for the Crown Prince’s kindness, and Armand's own sense of duty to the knights, he would’ve quit a long time ago.
Who keeps fighting while poisoned and half-dead just to help the royal family play their political games? If there were such a thing as “Knight of the Year,” all those stomach pills he took had better earn him the title.
…What a pain.
Armand cursed silently.
When it came to someone like Evelia, Armand wouldn’t make a move unless he was 100% sure. The truth was, both of them were like crickets in the hands of the royal family, fighting each other for their masters’ amusement. The Crown Prince and the Second Prince were just pitting them against each other for sport.
You could also say they were like dogs. Someday, the Second Prince might shout, “Evelia! Bite him!” And on the other side, the Crown Prince might yell, “You’re just going to let that slide, Armand? Bite back!”
In the end, the masters might walk away unharmed, while the dogs would tear each other apart.
“Don’t try to restrict her,” Armand said. “Let her do what she wants. As long as she doesn’t cross the line, leave her be. Don’t scare her off. If anything happens, wait till I’m back to deal with it.”
“Got it. I understand.”
Maybe it was because he couldn’t do anything about Evelia, or about the Second Prince behind her. Or maybe he simply felt pity for a fellow "guard dog." Either way, Armand chose to do nothing. He picked the one thing higher-ups usually hate most, wait and see.
Ugh, what a headache.
I just want to retire…